Strike plate



NOV. 30, 1954 J B|$$QT 2,695,807

STRIKE PLATE Filed Aug. 8, 1952 FIE i5- I 3 (/5 EIE Z EI1ELE E H3141;

INVENTOR. J0$EPH E. Busor ATTOP/VEY United States Patent 2,695,807STRIKE PLATE Joseph E. Bissot, Culver City, Calif., assignor to Rowe G.Manchester, County of Los Angelcs, Calif.

h Application August 8, 1952, Serial No. 303,214

1 Claim. (Cl. 292341.18)

This invention relates to door locks and has particular reference toimprovements in a strike plate which is secured to a door jamb or frame,to be engaged by a lock bolt carried on a door. The present invention isa continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 187,589,filed on September 29, 1950, and now abandoned.

When installing locks and strike plates therefor trouble is oftenencountered in properly aligning these elements since a strike plateshould be so positioned that a bolt just passes the keeper edge of theplate upon closing the door. Too great a clearance will permit the doorto rattle, whereas not enough clearance will prevent the bolt fromlocking.

Even if the strike plate is properly installed originally, shrinking orswelling of the door or its frame due to dampness or other causes willfrequently require resetting of the strike plate to properly retain thelock.

Although adjustable strike plates have been proposed heretofore, theyhave generally proved commercially unsuccessful, probably because theyare either too complicated and unsightly or, because of their adjustablefeature, they are necessarily bulky, as well as expensive tomanufacture. Also, such adjustable plates cannot be used to replace theusual fixed strike plates without extensive mortising or reworking ofthe door frame to receive the same.

It therefore becomes a principal object of the present invention toovercome the above noted ditficulties and defects in prior adjustablestrike plates.

Another object is to provide an adjustable strike plate assembly whichis simple in construction and which may be manufactured at a costcomparable to that of a conventional fixed strike plate.

A further object is to provide an adjustable strike plate having novisible adjustment features, such as slots, etc., which would otherwisecollect dirt and the like.

A further object is to provide an adjustable strike plate assembly whichis similar in appearance and size to a fixed strike plate whereby torequire a minimum of additional mortising of the door frame in order tosubstitute the same for the usual fixed strike plate.

A further object is to facilitate forming an adjustable strike plate ofstamped sheet metal.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention areaccomplished will be readily understood on reference to the followingspecifications when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is is a perspective view of an adjustable strike plate embodyingthe present invention, illustrating the same assembled in a conventionaldoor jamb.

Figs. 2 and 3 are front views of the strike plate assembly showing thesame in different adjusted positions and assembled in a door jamb.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the strike plate.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the strike plate assembly and istaken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the strike plate assembly comprises a strikeplate element generally indicated at and a retainer plate generallyindicated at 11. The retainer plate is flat and generally U-shaped whenviewed from the front, with two rectangular wings 11a extendingforwardly from the opposite ends of a central web section 11b. Theretainer plate is preferably formed of sheet metal and is provided withcounter-sunk holes 12 located centrally of the wings 11a to receive theheads of wood screws 13. The latter are inserted through the holes 12 tosecure the assembly to a door jamb generally indicated at 14.

The strike plate element 10 is also generally U-shaped, being providedwith two rectangular wings 15 extending rearwardly from the oppositeends of acentral tongue 17.

In order to form the strike plate with a minimum waste of material fromsheet metal and at the same time make the outer surface of the tongue 17flush with the outer surface of the retainer plate 11, the tongue isfolded over from the remaining body of the strike plate as shown at 19(Fig. 5). This provides a strike or keeper edge 20, against which thebolt rests when the door is locked, of twice the thickness of the metalfrom which the strike plate is formed. Also, by virtue of thisconstruction the length (height) of the tongue 17 is such that it snuglyand slidably fits within the adjacent edges of the wings 11a of theretainer plate 11 when the elements are assembled. This leaves nounsightly exposed slots or shoulders which would tend to collect dustand dirt, while the bent over formation of the tongue materiallystrengthens the strike plate element 10.

The forward end of the tongue curves inwardly toward its leading edge,as seen particularly in Fig. 5, whereby to cam the bolt of the door lookinto retracted condition as the same is moved over the tongue to itslocked position.

Both of the juxtaposed faces of the elements of the strike plate, i. e.,the outer face of the strike plate element 10 and the inner face of theretainer plate 11, are serrated or provided with vertically extendingV-grooves as at 21 to facilitate locking the same in different adjustedpositions. To enable such adjustment, elongated slots 23 are formed inthe wings 15 of the strike plate element 10 through which the screws 13extend after passing through the holes 12 in the retainer plate.

It will be noted particularly on reference to Figs. 2 and 3, that thewings 15 of the strike plate element are of a width somewhat less thanthe width of the wings 11a of the retainer plate. This permits lateraladjustment of the element 10 between the outer and inner limits ofadjustment as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, without movingpast the boundaries of wings 11a of the retainer plate. Therefore, theadjustment feature remains hidden in all adjusted positions of thestrike plate. When using the present adjustable strike plate assembly ondoor jambs for doors, a lateral adjustment on the order of is foundsufilcient in most cases, although, by applicants construction, thisadjustment may be varied as desired.

In mounting and adjusting the strike plate assembly on a door jamb, thelatter is mortised in the same manner as a fixed strike plate, and arecess 21 is cut in the door jamb for alignment with the rectangularopening 18 formed by the two strike plate elements to receive the latchbolt. When the screws 13 are tightened they will lock the whole assemblyin place on the door jamb and will also lock the strike plate element 10in fixed relation to the retainer plate. If adjustment is foundnecessary the screws are backed 01f, the door is closed, and the strikeplate element is adjusted so that the keeper edge 24) just touches thelock bolt, whereupon the door is again opened and the screws arere-tightened.

Since the size and shape of the present adjustable strike plate issubstantially the same as that of a fixed strike plate, there being noprotuberances or the like, the same can be easily substituted for afixed plate of similar general dimensions with little if any additionalmortising of the door jamb.

Further, the assembly, when mounted on a door jamb, will appear the sameas a fixed strike plate.

Having thus described the invention, what I desire to secure by UnitedStates Letters Patent is:

An adjustable strike plate assembly for door locks comprising; a fiatsheet metal generally U-shaped retainer plate, the legs of said retainerplate defining wings of substantial width having spaced parallel inneredges, a strike plate having a sheet metal tongue of the same thicknessas said retainer plate snugly slidably fitting between said edges inflush relation to said wings, spaced flat sheet metal extensions fixedlysecured to said tongue with their outer faces substantially flush withthe rear face of said tongue, said extensions respectively completelyunderlying said wings in surface engagement therewith and being ofsubstantially lesser dimension than said wings in the direction of saidedges, a screw hole in each of said Wings, openings through saidextensions in registry with said screw holes, said openings being ofgreater Width than said screw holes in the direction of said edges,portions of the engaging surfaces of said wings and extensions beingprovided with complementary interengaging linear serrations extending ina direction transverse to said edges, said tongue and extensionscomprising inte ral portions of a sheet metal member, a portion of saidmember extending between said extensions in underlying relation to theplane of said tongue, said portion being integrally joined to saidtongue along a fold line extending between said edges of said wings anddefining a latch bolt engaging shoulder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 769,770 Phelps Sept. 13, 1904 1,143,610 Carr June 22, 19151,214,227 Schwenk Ian. 30, 1917 1,445,681 Hage Feb. 20, 1923 2,127,891Starling Aug. 23, 1938 2,166,735 Sward July 18, '1939 2,446,206 BeckmanAug. 3, 2,604,347 Snyder July 22, 1952

